“You’re becoming more work-oriented, more family-oriented,” Rutgers director of the Center of Alcohol Studies Robert Pandina said. “You might have a more sensitive response to alcohol because you’ve lowered your exposure to alcohol overall.”

In other words, they have lower tolerances. The CDC measured that 52% of 45-64 year olds are “regular” drinkers having at least 12 drinks a year. Hold up: having a drink a month makes you a regular drinker? A drink a week seems more reasonable but hey, we’re not doctors.

So is the answer to avoiding nasty hangovers asking for smaller glasses, or ordering out of fishbowls with a straw more regularly to build that tolerance back up? Considering depleting liver functions, increasing brain sensitivities, and the propensity to take more medications (that sometimes don’t mix well with booze), the answer is probably the former.